Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-30

price of Is cents per copy.
our Fourth TranscOntinental
Railway.
The proposition to construct stand
ard gauge railway from Los Angeles
to Salt Lake City appears to be taking
solid material shape at very rapid
pace. Several heavy capitalists and
energetic, skillful promoters from the
East have been in this city taking
counsel with our business men and
public officials with reference to this
great project, Yesterday these move
ments resulted in the effecting of an
incorporation in this State and the ap-
pointing of Board of Directors.
The Territory OF Utah and the State
of Nevada are both alive with active
interest in the scheme, and this has
resulted in the subscription of stock,
the granting of rights of way, and
the voting of handsome subsidies to
encourage and aid the enterprise. Our
Angeleflo friends do not propose to lag
behind in the good work, but are tax
ing the project up in the must enthu-
siastic manner. Less could not be
expected from our public men and
merchants. The new road Is one OF
the most important measures broached
among us at any time. Los Angeles,
to be sure, has already three roads
crossing the country, and is, in this re-
spect, the best furnished entrepot on
on the coast. But the Los Angeles and
Salt Lake Railroad will open up rich
and wide area of country as market
for our products and imports; it will
also materially shorten the distance
between US and the East. The
line via Salt Lake City is
esti mated to be HOO railroad
miles shorter from here to Chicago
than by way Of Lathrop ana Sacra-
mento. 1t is much shorter too, than
the line composed of the California
Central, the Atlantic and Pacific, and
the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe.
This last statement covers fact not
generally we'll understood; but in old
days before railroads were known in
California, Los Angeles derived a fine
trade from this well understood fact.
All the trade of the State, with the
rich mining country to be traversed by
this main line was carried on by way
of this city. Merchandise came down
from San Francisco to San Pedro by
steamer, and was hauled by
teams through this county,
by way of Inyo and ad-
jacent counties into Southwestern Ne
vada and through to Salt Lake City.
Old-timers will have no difficulty in
recollectlng the long trains of 'prairie
schooners" which arrived here period
ically from the mines and from Nor
mondom. The proposed new road
will revive this business on new ba-
sis and by new methods more conso-
nant with the magnitude Of the busi-
ness to be done.
In this connection it is pleasant to
know that the expense of building the
road will not be by any means heavy.
Railroad engineers estimate that about
$l5, 600, 900 will construct and equip
the road between the terminal points.
Salt Lake City has subscribed suffi-
cient to carry the line southwark from
that terminus to the borders of Ne
vada. and that State gives right
of way and a subsidy OF
$4,000 per mile all through
her territory. The line will
enter our State at, or not far south of,
the southeastern corner of Inyo
county. 1t will reach Los Angeles by
the San Gabriel, the Tejunga, the Pa
coima, or the Arroyo Seco Caflons,
through the mountains north OF this
city. The whole line is below the
snow belt, and is also out of the way
of foods. There are no heavy grades
to overcome, and the direction is
pretty straight between the two ter
minal points. There will be a very
heavy traffic both ways along the line.
The country To be opened as our
back country by this road has
very considerable population en-
gagged in mining and stock raising.
They will at once furnish an excellent
market for all the products of our soil,
and they will send us in return beef
and mutton, and countless tons OF
valuable ore. The time to Chicago
will be shortened by over a day for
passenger trains and two days for
freight. The result of all this will be to
greatly enliven trade in Los Angeles.
We shall have smelling works here,
and other industries connected with
the working of metals, and non
metallic ores.
Great Enterprises Ahead.
Perhaps nowhere else in the history